Wood-based building structures may be solid wood, or may be made as a wood composite. For example, door skins may be formulated as wood composites that are molded as thin layers and then adhesively secured to the underlying door frame to provide a water-resistant outer surface. Generally, door skins are made by mixing wood fiber, a resin binder, and a wax, and pressing the mixture under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure to form a thin-layer wood composite which is then adhered to the underlying door frame.
Due to the decreasing availability and increased cost of wood, there is a need to reduce the amount of wood used from traditional sources for the manufacture of wood composite building structures such as door skins. Also, due to ever increasing environmental concerns, there is a need to minimize the use of wood from natural forests and instead, to utilize sources of wood from reserves that are more easily replenished. Also, door skins of reduced quality may result when the source of wood fiber is not consistent. Thus, there is a need to develop alternative sources of wood of suitable quality and availability for the production of high quality door skins and other thin-layer composites.